Patient/caregiver was educated on the side effects of using Fluoxetine as follows:
General allergic reactions
- Fluoxetine use can result in general allergic reactions, such as, skin rashes, hives, and itching.
- Some patients can present with symptoms of severe allergic and anaphylactic response with fluoxetine, such as, difficulty breathing, swelling of face, lips, throat, and tongue, with consequent difficulty breathing. Seek emergency medical help for such findings, especially with difficulty breathing, for any appropriate measures to be considered.
Musculoskeletal side-effects
- Fluoxetine intake carries the risk of lowering the threshold for seizures, thereby, resulting in seizure activity, especially in individuals with history of the same.
- Fluoxetine intake can also induce a life-threatening reaction called Neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Individuals taking fluoxetine can present with high fever, episodes of confusion, muscle rigidity, elevated blood pressure, and rapid heart rate. Severe cases can present with muscle breakdown, elevated potassium levels in the blood due to muscle destruction, life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias due to the elevated blood potassium, and seizures.
